"Fadette, you are charming. Has any one ever told you that?"
"O, Monsieur!" blushing.
"Have they?" lessening the distance between them.
"Sometimes," faintly. She could not withstand his glance, so she
retired a few more steps, only to find herself up with the wall.
With a laugh he sprang forward and caught her face between his
hands and imprinted a kiss on her left cheek. Suddenly she
wrenched herself loose, uttered a frightened cry and fled down
the pantryway.
"What's the matter with the girl?" he muttered aloud. "I wanted
to ask her some questions."
"Ask them of me, Monsieur," said a voice from the doorway.
Maurice wheeled. It was Madame, but her face expressed nothing.
He saw that he had been caught. The humor of the situation got
the better of him, and he laughed. Madame ignored this unseemly
hilarity.
"Monsieur, is this the way you return my kindness?"
"Permit me to apologize. As to your kindness, I have just
discovered that it is of a most dangerous quality."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I could not kiss Madame the countess with the same
sense of security as I could the-- pantry maid," bowing.
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